Deny
by Hikaru Morinaga
Summary: REVISED. Formerly known as Valentine's Day Stinks. Most people have a harder time letting themselves love then finding someone to love them. Samus, a hardened bounty hunter, denies being able to fall in love, especially with a past like hers. SamusxFalcon
1. Chapter 1

**Deny**

**- One -  
**

_Most people have a harder time letting themselves love than finding someone to love them_. --Author unknown

-x-

_Oh lovely_, Samus thought as she passed by the calendar hanging on the wall underneath the kitchen cupboard, coffee in hand; she had snuck a glance at it, just to see whether it was Saturday or Sunday or even Tuesday - the Academy had off the past week, and she had lost track of the days. Peach twirled past her and into the pantry, looking for ingredients to make more of her delicious cooking, maybe even bake a cake or three.  
_Valentine's Day is this week. Just what I always wanted._ She took a sip of her coffee - black, the way she always liked it - and exited the kitchen stage left.

The grandiose hallway with its myriad of stain glass windows looked like something out of a cathedral from the Medieval era, or something in Italy, maybe. She took another sip as she passed through it and took a left at the front door. The room next to it was a recreational room of sorts - one could play billiards, watch television, play video games, read a book, or relax in one of the many squishy couches lining the long walls. Crashing on one of the nearest chairs, she situated her coffee mug on one of the drink coasters lining the tables. Unlike Falcon or some of the other men, Samus didn't like to muck up the woodwork. Especially not when everything was finely crafted and probably very expensive - Master Hand liked nice things.

Stationed in front of the telly were Link, Young Link, Fox, and Roy, each with a game controller in their hands. From what Samus gleaned from the action on the screen, they were playing some sort of racing game, with Fox in the lead and Roy not far behind.  
"Older self," Young Link said, his brow furrowed and with a sheen of sweat as he frantically punched the shoulder buttons. "GET OUT OF MY WAY."  
Link's car retaliated by crashing into Young Link's, a grin of satisfaction plastered on the older Hero of Time's face.  
"That's it, you're going _down_!" Young Link cried, his eyes filled with a lust for revenge.  
"Not like it matters or nothin' since you both pretty much lost," Fox interjected, giving his two cents to the conversation. "We're so far ahead'a you guys, there'd need to be a miracle for you to catch up."

Samus rolled her eyes and got up from her seat. She would show them how it was done, how one could emerge from the ashes and grab that must-have victory...  
Approaching the group, Samus said, "Give me the controller, YL." She held out her hand and gestured with her fingers for him to cough it up.  
Young Link would have glared at her had he not been busy. "Wait until this is over, Sam."  
Fox paused the game and nudged the younger Hero of Time. "Give up the controller or else she'll kick your ass, dude."  
Young Link sighed loudly and smacked the thing into the bounty hunter's expectant hand.  
"I've had enough of that game, anyway. Do what you want." He scootched over so Samus could join them on the floor.

Samus sat down on the now-available bean-bag chair, her fingers curled over the back of the controller, the shoulder buttons, and the "A" button - who used the brake in a racing game, anyway? Samus had her game face on, the same face she had on when she had a match, the same face she had on when she was kicking metroid and Space Pirate arse and taking their names and mounting their heads over the mantle in her private quarters.  
"Let's go already, Fox," she ordered, tapping her fingers against the back of the controller now. "I want to have time to savour the look of defeat on your face." She smirked.

Fox snorted but said nothing, instead pressing the 'Start' button to unpause the game. Samus immediately accelerated and left Link's sorry arse behind in the blink of an eye.  
"See, YL, this was the problem you had," Samus explained, gesturing to the screen with a nod of her head. "You have booster power and you never used it. This is the key to victory right here." She did it again and again, quickly swallowing up the huge gap between her and Roy.  
"Pull over, Roy, I'm arresting you for being too slow."  
Roy used _his_ boosters now, speeding up more to try and increase the distance. "Can you even do that?"  
Samus guffawed. "Not unless you have a bounty on your head, kid. And I pray you don't, because I might accidentally break you. Ah! Too slow there!"

And Roy's car was not only totaled by a sneak attack Samus pulled, but he was also left in her dust.  
"That...that was dirty, Sammy."  
"Nothin's dirty in a game, Roy. Like real life. You do whatever you have to to win. That's your objective. If you're weak, you'll be left behind and forgotten about as the strong triumph. Well whaddya know, Fox? YL caught up to you with a minute left on the clock."  
Fox punched the "X" button over and over in an attempt to widen the shrinking gap, but he ended up being left with little booster power and almost overheat his car.  
"Dammit," he cursed under his breath. Samus was still on his arse. The front of her car tapped his rear and suddenly, without warning, Fox's car stopped and spontaneously combusted. Grinning now, Samus crossed the finish line and set down the controller.  
"You just got schooled by Samus Aran, bounty hunter extraordinaire and queen of racing games," she said, and then got up, walked back to her previous perch, and took a gulp of coffee.

Making a face, she said, "Shit, this was left too long."  
Young Link gloated in Fox's face all the while Fox was banging his head against the controller, Link had left the room to grab some Vanilla Mountain Coke Dew (he was still tinkering with the name of his latest experiment), and Roy saw a familiar blue cape whoosh past the doorway and followed it.  
"I find it kinda sad that you had to have someone grab the victory for you, though, YL," Samus said, more to her coffee mug than to the miniature Hero of Time. "I think it's safe to say Hyrule's screwed." She chugged her disgusting and cold coffee, trying to not taste it so much as draw all the caffeine into her veins. She was unused to bitter and cold and gross tasting coffee on all her missions, as it was all she had in her ship.

"Anyway, if you guys need me to kick more ass in a game I've barely played, you can find me in the training arena with Falcon." With that last word in, Samus left the room, coffee mug still in her hand. She'd have another quick cup before heading to the arena. Falcon could wait - he wasn't even there yet, probably.  
_He's always late to our practises_, she thought. _Either that or I'm always early. Maybe I should remind him... Lord knows he could've easily forgotten._

Fox was the one laughing at Young Link now, the younger Link none too pleased with the tide turning.  
"You...you needed a _girl_ to help you in a video game! That's...that's _sad_!" Tears of mirth escaped from Fox's eyes as he doubled over again.  
"S-Shut _up_, Fox!"

-x-

Punch, kick, grab, missile.  
Samus, now in her suit, rolled away from Falcon just as he was about to grapple her, and retaliated by shooting another missile at him. Falcon was quick, as always, to run away from it, and Samus sat there, her arms crossed, as she waited for him to run on back to the battle at hand.  
_He's **always** like this._ She stood there and watched his finely worked muscles help him do all sorts of flips in the air, a few arm flexes, as if he was warming up in the middle of the fight.  
_Always showing off._ She chuckled to herself, knowing it wouldn't be audible to him. _That's probably why all those girls at all of his matches hoot and holler loudly and pull their shirts off for him. To show off to **him**_.

As Falcon showed off even more, flexing each and every last muscle in preparation for God only knew, Samus remembered when she first met Falcon. She didn't like him at first, if only because of the shock he received after their first match of the very first tournament. Up until that point, she had never taken her helmet off for everyone else in the Manse - only when she was alone. To her, it was her protective shell, a second skin. She fought and bit tooth and nail in it, struggled and climbed to the top. She was secretive, extremely introverted, antisocial. Why get close to anyone when they would probably be taken away from her?

_"That was a great match!" Captain Falcon exclaimed as he offered his hand. Samus awkwardly took it and shook it. He had a strong handshake - a good sign, an attest to his loyalty. If it was one thing Samus hated, it was people who had two faces.  
"...But you lost," Samus said after making sure voice communication was on. "How can it be a great match if you lost?" It didn't add up, didn't make sense.  
Falcon shrugged and let their hands fall back to their sides. "Because I know I tried my damnedest to best you and I couldn't. It was great practise for my skills, an assessment to see where I need improvement."_

Who would use a tournament match as **practise**? she thought as they began walking together to the changing rooms. At that time, there were no separate locker rooms, as Samus was the only girl - or so Falcon would find out.  
"What kind of name is Samus Aran, anyway? It doesn't sound like any sort of name I've heard of."  
Samus shrugged. "It's native to my home planet. It means 'strong willed'. My mother knew what she was doing." And that was all she was going to say. If it was one thing Samus hated, it was talking about her past. It wasn't worth remembering the devastation on her face, the feeling of such intense loathing and loneliness, the cruelty the universe bestowed upon her.

And then, without realising it, she released the air locks on her helmet - usually she was the only one in the room and forgot Falcon was there - and took it off, letting her blonde hair cascade down her shoulders.  
"God is it ever hot in there. I think my built-in cooling system's on the fritz. I'll have to have a look at it..." And as soon as she turned around, helmet in her hands, she saw the look of shock on Falcon's face.  
"What?" she inquired as she disengaged the rest of her power suit. "Haven't you ever seen a girl before?"  
"Oh! Oh yes, of course I have!" Falcon sputtered, still a little off guard. "I just... Everyone's said you were a man and--"  
Samus shrugged it off. "Don't worry, you're not the first, second, or even fiftieth person who's made that mistake."

What made it worse was the fact that Falcon had heard of Samus (as all bounty hunters across the galaxy had), the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxies. And that Samus was a 'she'.  
And Samus knew what he was thinking. "I can kick ass just as good as the next guy, so don't think I don't know what I'm doing. Gender has nothing to do with anything."

"Sammy? Are you okay? Do you need to stop or--"  
"Falcon," Samus said, keeping her demeanor cool, neutral.  
"Yes?"  
Samus had just realised she was on the floor and that he was on top of her in a rather compromising position. She had often seen Marth and Roy in this position, but they usually had their teeth grit and their blades at each other's throats, the other always resisting. There was no teeth gritting, no resistance, no weapons pointed in the other's face.  
"_What_ in the name of the Chozo are you doing _on top of me_?" Her voice was firm with an edge of danger intermingled. Falcon quickly pushed himself off and backed a good three feet away.

Samus sighed and said absolutely nothing; she instead focused on getting herself up and back in a fighter's stance.  
"I overdid it with the kicking, I think," he said, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. Samus couldn't help but crack a smile at the nervous quirk he had. It was somewhat cute.  
_Wait. **Cute**? Did I just say something about that disgusting and crude man of an F-Zero racer was **cute**?_ Perhaps her cooling system was on the fritz again, for it felt a little stuffy and uncomfortable in her suit. Checking it on her screen, she saw everything was working normal.  
_If my suit's not the thing malfunctioning, than my **brain** sure as hell is_.

"Well if you didn't show _off_ so much," Samus said after a slight pause, "you wouldn't have overdone it."  
"Y-Yes, sir - I mean, ma'am - you're absolutely right!"  
_Why is he treating me like a military commander suddenly?_ "Falcon."  
His head snapped up, along with the rest of his body. He had the urge to salute her, but he fought back that urge. She was his _equal_, and she always was and she always would be. But even though she was his equal, she commanded such respect.  
"Yes?"

Samus took off her helmet, her faced flushed and she wasn't sure whether it was from their work out or from her earlier thoughts - she hoped it was the former.  
"I think that's enough for today. I'm a little beat - I don't think I had enough coffee before, and this thing's malfunctioning."  
Falcon nodded. "Of course, Sammy." And then he muttered something she couldn't make out.  
"What was that?" She was just about to turn away, too, and return to the women's locker facilities.  
(She had to beg Master Hand for them, too. "Master Hand, we can't have the women changing with the men! That's just asking for a sexual harassment suit being filed against you!" She also threatened to kick his arse to "Zebes and back", even though she had full knowledge that Zebes was no longer there. She would kick his ass to where it _used_ to be, then.)  
"I just said...you should wear your hair clipped up like that more often. It...looks nice." And then he winced, as if preparing for a smackdown of some sort.

Samus shrugged. "If that's what you think. I kinda like it this way myself. It doesn't get as stuffy in my suit with it up like this."  
And with that she left, quickly. She didn't know why she was so flushed, but she was. And it would kill her if he saw her like this. She had an image to uphold, after all.

Falcon watched her go and sighed. "Someday, Samus... I'm gonna get you to open up to me."  
_When will you consider me more than a fighting partner, Samus?_  
He already knew the answer, though: never. He had a vague knowledge of her past concerning all of the people she ever cared about, why she was so distant.  
_I'll crack that hardened shell if it's the last thing I ever do_.

-x-

**Author's notes:** Oh yes, I revised this again. I'm rather happy with how it's turned out, even! I've wanted to do something like this for a while now, and this was the perfect opportunity. Feedback is welcome, so tell me what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

**Deny**

**- Two -**

Samus wandered the corridors that led to various places on the 'block'. She walked up the metal grated stairs and towards the sunlight, knowing the path she took was the one to the backyard of the Manse. After being in a practise match with Falcon for a little over two hours, her muscles were just a bit aching, still taut as her feet touched soft green grass. The sun was in full view now, the rays beaming down from overhead, bathing everything in its light. Various people were enjoying the un-February-like temperatures, either playing with their friends, soaking up the sun, or even having sparring matches (to the dismay of Peach). Falco and Fox were even having a picnic, which Samus thought was a bit odd.

_This cheery-deary atmosphere is making me gag_, Samus thought, moving back towards the Manse. The back door was wide open, and she thought that to be a security risk. Though Master Hand made sure there was security all around the perimeter of the Manse, they were only R., useless creatures in Samus's mind. She could easily kick one over, and they usually ran when they saw her (or anyone else) coming. She entered the kitchen where Peach was baking a strawberry cake and crossed the room to the fridge.  
_As usual, someone drank all the good crap._ She wouldn't have minded a nice beer, but one of the other Smashers (_Probably Falcon_, thought Samus as she frowned slightly) seemed to have gotten there first.

_Guess I'll just have more coffee, then._ She closed the fridge door and walked back to rear entrance. Next to it was a row of cupboards, a long counter, and an 'express' coffee machine. From what she heard from Roy (who only consumed coffee during exam week), it didn't take any longer than a normal coffee maker, and she wondered sometimes why Master Hand spent his money on useless and extremely expensive stuff. Especially since the old coffee maker was perfectly fine, albeit a little dirty. Grabbing a nearby mug, she poured some steaming hot coffee and set the pot back down.

"Hey Peach," Samus said, "who made this last batch of coffee here?"  
Peach turned her head away from frosting the cake and answered, "Either Ganon or Luigi. I'm pretty sure it was Ganon, though... Why?"  
Samus fanned her hot beverage and took a sip. "'S a little strong, that's why."  
Peach put the frosting tube down and made her way over to where Samus was.  
"Then it was definitely Ganondorf. He likes it really...zangy."  
Samus drank it anyway, getting used to the punch it packed. She would have to ask Ganondorf how many scoops he put in later.

"Oh, by the way, Sam," Peach said, reaching into one of the bottom cabinets for a cake server, "there's a note posted on the bulletin board. It says 'Urgent' on the top, but I haven't had a chance to look at it yet."  
Samus turned towards the entrance hall. "Really."  
Peach went back to her station by the stove. "Yeah. It's probably nothing important or major, but Master Hand likes to sound more important than he really is."  
"Kinda like Ganondorf," Ike said as he entered through the back door. Before anyone asked him what he was doing there, he continued, "Zelda invited me over for tea in the library. She found something about Crimean history she thought I'd like."

_Too much info, no one cares, Ike._ "Last floor, can't miss it, has a huge sign on the front," Samus directed. "Use the stairwell in the hall there."  
Ike nodded his thanks and left the kitchen, his footsteps reverberating off the walls as he ascended the steps.  
"There must be something about evil men that makes them have huge egos," Peach breathed, carefully adding strawberries around the cake surface.  
"I don't think anyone could have a bigger ego than Ganon, personally," Samus said as she edged out of the kitchen. "Except maybe Master Hand."  
"Possibly," Peach answered. "But they could be about equal."

Samus was examining the bulletin board directly outside of the kitchen. Various notes of different colours were pinned up on its cork board surface, each colour representing what it was and how important it might be. Blue stood for anything tournament related, red for Manse stuff, and so on. There was even a key posted at the top for anyone who forgot. Not like many even _read_ the stupid thing in the first place. There, in the middle of the board on red paper was the notice Peach was talking about before.

She took a sip of coffee as she read over the notice, which read:  
_Attention Smashers young, old, evil, good, human or otherwise,  
This week is, as you know, Valentine's Day. And as per usual tradition, all this week you can give the gift of love through cards, candies, chocolates, or even weapons if that's your thing. But choose your Valentine carefully - they are to be your date for the dance held on February 14th, the day of love itself. Anyone without a date by this time will be assigned one as dictated by Princesses Peach and Zelda. More details about the dance will be revealed as the day comes closer. As always, if you have any questions, please go see them, as I can't be bothered with stupidity._

_Have fun, and spread the gift of love! (Oh geez, I can't believe I just wrote that! Hanging out with my insane brother has gotten to me, I think.)  
-- THE MASTER HAND (and Crazy Hand's here, too, unfortunately)_

Samus nearly spit her coffee out onto the floor, just as Nana came marching down the stairs. She saw the flabbergasted look on the bounty hunter's face and came to the conclusion that something was not right.  
"They have the Tier Lists up _already_?" Nana asked when she was a good six feet away from the blonde. Nana was very uncomfortable standing next to Samus since she was a good three feet taller than the female Ice Climber, and so she stood away.  
"Hmm?" Samus hadn't even heard Nana come down the stairs. "Tier Lists?"  
_That must not be what Samus is shocked over, then._ "Never mind. What're you so horrified over?"

Peach, who could clearly hear the conversation from her place in the kitchen, poked her head out, dish towel in hand, drying a dish.  
"What's it say, Sammy?"  
Samus honestly thought the coffee was making her hallucinate. "...Read it for yourself - reading it once it more than enough, in my opinion."  
So Peach and Nana read the note. Peach's eyes lit up and Nana made a face similar to Samus's.  
"Oh right, the Week of Love thing," Peach commented, as if it were old hat by now. "I hope you find someone to give gifts to, Sammy. Otherwise someone will _definitely_ find you!" The very pink princess giggled and went back into the kitchen.

"What's wrong with you?" Samus asked Nana. "Don't you usually go for this sort of thing?"  
Nana sighed. "You remember last year. Ness, Popo, and Young Link were all fighting for me. It was a nightmare."  
Samus refused to participate last year in the 'gift of love' crap. Unfortunately, the dance was mandatory, and since she got her date last minute, she ended up taking Ganondorf.  
"Right. Well this year you'd better act fast. Go with Popo - he's your boyfriend, isn't he?"  
Nana shrugged. "I was thinking of taking Young Link this year, but he might freak on me or something, so who knows."

Samus began calculating a list of men she could have as candidates.  
"Hey Peach," she called into the kitchen, "is this male-female or does anything go?"  
Peach had just finished covering the cake for later and wiped her hands on her apron.  
"Well, I think it's anything goes, because there are only four of us and thirty six or so of them, plus not everyone is straight here and we don't want to discriminate."  
Samus's list shrunk just a little. "Thanks, Peach. I'll keep that in mind."  
_That means Marth, Roy, Ike, Fox, and even Falco are off my list. This isn't a promising start._

Samus didn't really care who she ended up with, just as long as it wasn't Ganondorf again. She took a gulp of coffee and grimaced.  
"Goddammit, I really have to start drinking this stuff quick."

-x-

Samus went up to the library to find some books on power suit repairs and upgrades. She rarely visited the third floor because she didn't really read much. Anything she _was_ interested in reading, she got through magazines, and those were dropped in her mailbox on her door.  
Pushing the heavy double doors with equally heavy stain glass windows on them (what was it with Master Hand and stain glass?) open, the entire expanse of the gigantic library was completely open to her. A fire crackled in the fire place in the centre of the room, with three chairs gathered around it. Tables with book piles, dictionaries, and school work were all over. And then there was the computer area in the very back, with some tables in the front; and lastly, the main attraction: the books themselves. The Manse library had every book on every subject by every author. Everything was sorted by topic, then by subtopic, and then finally, by author.

Samus consulted the map posted on the wall directly next to the doors so she knew where she had to go. Naturally everything she wanted was way in the back, next to all the history crap. Sighing heavily, she made her way to the back, passed Zelda and Ike discussing the war between Daein and Crimea by, passed the computers where Ness and Lucas were looking up information on the Internet. And at last, she reached her destination. Noiselessly, someone crept up to the section directly behind her with the intent to grab something without disturbing her. Samus, her senses more honed than an average person's, heard the whooshing of fabric and turned on her heel quickly.

"You know, Tiara Boy, you could easily give someone a heart attack doing that," Samus mused, startling the Altean prince. He scowled at the nickname and grabbed the book he came here for, saying nothing at first.  
"As could you," Marth replied at last, his voice just above a whisper.  
"But you'd fail as a ninja."  
"I have no plans to be a ninja." Marth had a very vague idea of what a ninja actually _was_. "What brings you here, anyway? You usually avoid this place like a deadly disease."

Samus skimmed the titles, fingering each and every book spine in search of the right one. Samus was terrible with book titles, but remembered the book she always used was leathery, coarse like overtly calloused hands.  
"I need to fix something on my suit, if it's anything to you." Samus avoided staring directly at Marth. Though she hated to admit it, he was extremely good looking, though taken by someone else. She wouldn't have even minded going with him to the dance, but someone probably asked him first.  
"That's what I figured," was all Marth said.

If it was one thing Samus couldn't figure out, it was whether Marth just talked to her to be polite or if he was really interested in talking to her. Perhaps he was even intimidated by her, for she towered over him a bit as well. Then again, Samus wasn't exactly the best at reading people, and she wasn't exactly best friends with him.  
"And you're probably here reading another boring book on something or other."  
Marth chuckled softly. "Boring to most people, anyway."  
Samus sighed in frustration at being unable to find the book she wanted. It could have been in her room still, as she was bad about remembering to return things, but she swore she returned it...

"So have you heard about the dance?" It was someone else's voice now, too feminine to be Marth's. They both turned at the same time and saw it was Zelda, close by, returning a book to its proper place.  
"Uh... No," Ike admitted, also close by. "I wasn't aware there was one."  
"I could have sworn I sent the memo to Tabuu... In any case, there's a dance we do every year here. Basically, this is the Week of Love, and you give gifts to your Valentine. The person you give gifts to is your date for the dance. It's simple, really."  
"That guy in green isn't going to try to steal you away from me, is he?" Ike joked, embracing her from behind.  
"He might, but I'll just tell him I already have a date."

Samus turned back around and continued her search for _Your Power Suit and You_ and Marth sighed.  
"So, do _you_ have anyone for this stupid dance?" Samus grinned when she spotted the book and plucked it from its resting place. Just as she thought, it felt coarse and leathery - she was thinking she might have mistook the texture for something else.  
"I haven't been given anything yet, so no," Marth answered as they both emerged from the shadowy back, nearly scaring the Hylian princess and her beau.  
"Have you given anything yet, then?"  
"I haven't," Marth admitted. "I think there's a bet going around, though, so I don't know what I want to do yet."

Samus smirked. "Would your boyfriend care at all if you went with someone else?"  
Marth sat down at the table he was at previously, right next to the mountain of books he was going to read.  
"It's not a serious dance or anything, so probably not. But he might get just a little jealous." Marth smiled a little then. "You remember what happened in June. Why? Were you thinking of asking me?"  
Samus rested her head against her palm. "Yeah, but after hearing that, I don't wanna rain on Roy's parade. 'Specially since I know he'd probably stab me with that beauty of a sword."

Marth shrugged. "If that's what you'd rather do."  
And if by some sort of summon, Roy burst through the library doors, something in his hand. It was wrapped in blue paper with a red bow on top. Samus snorted, earning a look of confusion from the prince sitting next to her.  
"Oh crap, Samus didn't ask you already, did she?" Roy's face looked just a bit crushed at the scene before him.  
"No, she didn't."  
Roy nodded, then presented Marth with the gift. "Will you be my Valentine, Marth and speak of this to no one?" He glanced in Samus's direction.

Marth accepted the gift and gestured for Roy to lean down just a bit.  
"What?"  
Marth gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Of course."  
Roy looked a little disappointed. "That's all I get? A kiss on the cheek?"  
Marth's eyes shifted to the blonde next to him. "With people around, yes."

And that was Samus's cue to leave the two lovebirds alone.  
"Well, I guess I'll be leaving now," she said, excusing herself. "Power suit upgrades and all that shit."  
Marth nodded and stood, as manners dictated. "See you later, then."  
_Curses_, she said as she exited out the back door of the library. _Why are all the good looking guys taken? I'll probably end up with Ganondorf again._  
Captain Falcon didn't even cross her mind.

-x-

**Author's Notes:** Ooh, it keeps getting more and more interesting!  
And yes, this takes place in the same universe as Melee Academy of Higher Learning for Boys, in case you saw any similarities between this and my other fic.

Until the next chapter!


End file.
